Purdue Technology Center Tours 1, 2, & 3
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Sunnyside Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens
​Ornamental Grasses Garden
The Ornamental Grasses Garden was planted in 2010. Emphasis was placed on the use of native grasses and companion native plants that provide texture in the garden as well as year-round interest. This garden emphasizes the ease of care of native plants and grasses that suffer little from pests and diseases.
The concept behind a Sensory Garden is to combine elements that will stimulate all the senses—fragrant plants, textured plants, vivid colors, and the element of sound. A winding path takes you to plants like lilac and viburnum for scent and Lamb’s Ear for touch. You can taste mint or strawberries and hear bubbling water. Lastly, it is a feast for the eyes. Even though it is small in size, it exhibits the fundamentals of design of larger spaces.
This garden was made possible in part by the Horseshoe Foundation and the hard work of Sunnyside Master Gardeners.
Bee Haven Garden
The Bee Haven garden is planted around an enclosed bee yard with pollinator plants known to attract pollinators and beneficial insects. The Sunnyside Master Gardener Pollinator and Beneficial Insects Team maintains this bee haven at the Purdue Technology Center for public demonstrations such as Pollinator Day in April of each year.
Information Booths
The Bluebird Team supports bluebird conservation by constructing numerous bluebird boxes and installing them on trails across southern Indiana at no cost. As of October 2018, the team had completed 3,947 boxes, 3,630 of which have been gifted. They also monitor over 2,033 boxes on 52 trails and record various kinds of nesting activity. Data and findings are shared with the Indiana Bluebird Society and any other group that might gain from the findings. In 2016, the bluebird team was selected as the bluebird group of the year by the Indiana Bluebird Association.
In 2015, the Bluebird Trail won Second Place in the Educational Service Workshop Division in the Purdue Master Gardener Search for Excellence Awards.
Pollinator and Beneficial Insect Team
The Pollinator and Beneficial Insect Team provides science-based information to the Sunnyside Master Gardener membership and to the general public on pollinators and beneficial insects. The team researches “beneficials” and the myriad ways that these species affect and are affected by the natural environment.
Additionally, the team utilizes this information to provide concrete practical guidance that gardeners and property owners can use to understand the role that the
beneficials play in our lives and environment and to improve habitat for these crucial species. Activities include Pollinator Day at Purdue Technology Center, the Butterfly Garden Open House, demonstrations and presentations at other public events, and social media.
In 2018, the Pollinator Team won First Place in the Educational Service Workshop Division of the Purdue Master Gardener Search for Excellence Awards.
Next Sunnyside MG Meeting
January 7,
6:30 PM
Mark Chaffins​
Bernheim Forest
Hollies
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Zoom Only
